


Take Me Out To The Ball Game

by starprise_entership



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Current Day AU, M/M, Tumblr Prompt, possibly deep dish nine? i don’t know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-06-10 21:19:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15300234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starprise_entership/pseuds/starprise_entership
Summary: After Garak runs off in the middle of watching a baseball game, Bashir follow him to find out why.





	Take Me Out To The Ball Game

  
Elim Garak gives a sigh of annoyance as the crowd raves and cheers once again as a runner makes it back home. Sports, he grumbles, and glances at his phone to see if there have been any new happenings on the local news. _Anything,_ he pleads. _Give me a financial crisis to read about. Or even a traffic accident._  
  
Finding nothing absolutely interesting today, he closes the news app and settles for playing Solitare on his small, badly lit phone.

 _Another three hours of this nonsense and I can go home,_ muses Garak. _Honestly, I should be leaving right now, but Julian would scold me for not fully appreciating the value of the stadium ticket Mr. Sisko paid for._

“Oh, that was a good one!” He hears Bashir’s voice exclaim in his right ear, but he’s too preoccupied with his own game to look up. Every tap is mechanical, almost soulless as he tries to keep his mind on the only thing probably less arduous than baseball.

Lost in thought, he plays six games before something grabs his attention.

His heart skips a beat as he yanks his right hand out from where it sits between his knee and Bashir’s hand, earning him a yelp of surprise.

“May I know what you’re trying to do?” Garak finally looks up from his phone in the first time in twenty minutes and shoots an apprehensive look at Bashir. “There are people around.”

Bashir looks mildly taken aback. “What? No. I wasn’t aiming for your hand.” He peers over Garak’s shoulder. “I was reaching for the, uh-popcorn.”

Garak grabs the rim of the paper bowl on his left and passes it to Bashir. “You should’ve told me. Who eats popcorn at a baseball match, anyway?”

“I’m more of a hotdog guy, but I wasn’t feeling up to that today.” Bashir shrugs. He digs into the bowl and shoves a handful into his mouth. “Pass that back along to Nog, won’t you?”

Garak complies and returns to his solitary game.

It isn’t even two minutes later when he finds Bashir’s hand resting atop his again. As a reflex he turns his head in his direction, not expecting Bashir to lean over so quickly either, his arm already outstretched for the popcorn.

After their lips briefly brush, Garak backs away, mortified. He raises his hand to his lips, and then quickly drops it.

“Sorry,” apologises Bashir with a sheepish look on his face. “Popcorn.” He gives the paper bowl a shake. “Want any?”

“I’m terribly sorry, but I think I shall be leaving.” Garak hastily gathers up his belongings and ducks out of sight, leaving Bashir and his friends behind with expressions ranging from bewildered to just plain horrified.

“You really are insufferable,” sighs Bashir, shaking his head as he places the popcorn back on his seat and heads after Garak, catching up to him on his way out of the stadium.

Garak hears his footsteps even before he’s even turned around. “Look, if you want to talk, we could do so later. There’s no point following me if I’m not going to change my mind, and you know that I can be impossibly stubborn at times.”

“I’m sorry.” Bashir reaches for Garak’s hand, who moves instinctively out of the way. “Was it something I did?”

Garak stops in his tracks, finally willing to listen. “Unintentionally, yes.”

“Then what was it that I did?” pleads Bashir. “I’d like to know what I did wrong so that I won’t do it again. If that would make you happier.”

“It’s a matter of public displays of affection.” Garak meets Bashir’s gaze. “I’m afraid I’m just not very comfortable with it.”

“Is it the people, Garak?” Bashir steps forward, his expression clouded with concern. “If it’s the case, I can very much understand why you’d be so adverse to me touching you in public. I do tend to express myself more openly than you do.”

“I just prefer to go about my affairs in a more private manner,” explains Garak. “If you’ll take my excuse at face value.”

“That’s all I need to know. I won’t ask any more questions about it.” assures Bashir, a jovial smile returning to his face. “I’m sorry for what I did, really, and I do want to make it up to you. Would you happen to have any suggestions?”

“Come home with me tonight,” Garak offers, his eyes lighting up. “I’ve recently acquired a few new records, and I’d like to have the pleasure of enjoying them with you.”

Bashir rolls his eyes. “Avant-garde music again? You really are a strange man.”

“And you wouldn’t have me any other way, would you?” replies Garak, smugly.


End file.
